Pirates of the East of England

The 24hour sail in aid of the RNLI is a spectacle to behold in the cafe. The flags and the bunting go up, the staff are briefed and there is a sense of expectation in the air.
The theory is that each team keep a vessel on the water for 24hours, counting the laps of the lake, and the time in which it takes to go around. Some of the sailors take this really seriously, it is a race after all. We, on the other hand, dress as pirates and take a pedaloe out, and generally get in the way. We do however have a really good weekend and try to get a generous donation to the RNLI.This year the staff really got in the mood. We got a pedaloe team going, and even the Newbies got involved, not forgetting the help from Barry's lads from nextdoor, some random customers who just fancied a go and even Ian the Ranger who did laps for us before and after his ranger shifts on that weekend.
There seemed to be more boats on the water this year, and a good wind saw them flying over the lake. This is brilliant for them, but not good when you are so low on the water, but our chaps carried on regardless. The 5am shift- valiantly covered by Jodie, is great- calm water so you can overtake the boats, much to their chagrin.
There is a flypast every year- this time it was a Hurricane, a Spitfire both of which were dwarfed completley by the majestic Lancaster.
Shakehands Eric(see post below) played a set in the cafe, and were once again fantastic. They then moved to Barrys side to play for the worn out sailors. They played in the garage- although I don't think they now come into that genre- and said how lovely it was to play overlooking such a beautiful lake. They are sorry for the view their audience had! Our team managed to do 30 laps, and we won the prize for most committed team. That may have been the team that needed to be comitted most! Thanks to the fabulous generosity shown by our customers the cafe has raised over £300 for the RNLI. The figure for the whole weekend has yet to be published. The race has been a great success this year, and we hope will continue to be so. It always takes place around the longest day. We hope to see you there next year- dressed as pirates if you wish.